Assert Your Independence!

 Last Saturday's KVBC ride from Mt. Vernon was sunny and hot, befitting the first club ride of summer. We did, however, have some nice shady sections along the Chesterville Esker and many of the ponds & lakes enroute, and we finished the ride before the worst heat of the day. We are now coming into July, which means we start off with one of our traditional rides out of Sidney for the Fourth of July weekend.  Assert your independence!  And see you on Sunday!

Sunday, July 3rd, SIDNEY:
"Independence by Bike" - a Middle Road tour through the middle of Sidney & the middle of the Fourth of July weekend.
START:  9:00 AM at the James H. Bean Elementary School on Middle Road in Sidney.
Directions to the Bean School:
From south: I-95 North exit #120. Turn right at end of exit ramp onto Lyons Rd. Follow Lyons Rd. to stop sign. Turn left onto Middle Rd. Bean School is approximately one mile on the right.
From the north: I-95 South exit #120. Turn left at end of exit ramp onto Lyons Rd. Follow Lyons Rd. to stop sign. Turn left onto Middle Rd. Bean School is approximately one mile on the right.

DISTANCE:  16 or 29 Miles.
TERRAIN:  moderate with a few hills.
HIGHLIGHTS:  some fine back roads and Kennebec River views, and some Fourth of July paraphernalia, most likely.
LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com, 293-3784.

LINK TO RIDE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39964070

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com, check out our blog, Posted Roads at http://postedroads.blogspot.com, or follow us on Facebook.

July Rides

 Here is the KVBC monthly ride calendar for July! Summer is here and we have a lot of great rides lined up!

Esker Me Anything

We had a nice, clear late-spring day for our ride Monday from Readfield - much warmer and sunnier than the regularly scheduled ride on Sunday.  The route was very pretty, traffic was modest perhaps due to the holiday, and though it was breezy we actually had some impressive tailwinds.  Our thanks to Lydia for rescheduling and leading on short notice!  This Saturday we will venture out of West Mount Vernon past many scenic ponds, over some challenging hills, and across the remarkably flat Chesterville Esker.  Hope you can join us!

Saturday, June 25 - WEST MOUNT VERNON

"Eleven Ponds" - a tour past many of the hidden ponds and lakes in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Chesterville, and Vienna.

START:  9:00 AM, at the boat landings on Echo Lake and Taylor Pond on Rt. 41 at the junction of Sandy River Road; the nearest street address is 1156 ME-41. There is a bridge and a dam and a free-standing brick chimney as landmarks. Park in either boat landing lot on opposite sides of the road.

DISTANCE:  14 and 29 miles.  Long route has approx. 1/4 mile of gravel surface.

TERRAIN:  Rolling with a few good hills (and one memorable one).

HIGHLIGHTS:  rural back roads winding through many small ponds and lakes, and across the top of the Chesterville Esker.

LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com, 293-3784.

LINK to RIDE MAP (Long): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39591548

LINK to RIDE MAP (Short): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39591616

 

Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club rides are open to members and to the cycling public.  Helmets are required of all riders at KVBC events.  In case of severe weather, scheduled rides may be postponed or designated as "show & go" rides at the discretion of the ride leader.  For ride updates and reports, check out the KVBC blog at http://postedroads.blogspot.com or follow us on Facebook. 

Meandering a Little Later

Due to forecasts of cold, wet conditions for Father's Day we have decided to take advantage of the holiday and shift the start of this weekend's KVBC ride to Monday, June 20, Juneteenth, at 10:00 am.  Please note the change in time and day, and pass this info along to anyone who may be planning to ride but is not on our email list.  Thanks to Lydia and everyone for being flexible, and see you Monday!

Monday, June 20th - READFIELD
"The Maranacook Meander" - a lakeside tour through Readfield, Winthrop, Wayne and Kents Hill
START: 10:00 am at the Maranacook Middle School, lower paved parking lot, Millard Harrison Drive, off of Rt. 17 about one quarter mile north of Readfield Depot.
DISTANCE: about 27-30 miles.
TERRAIN: moderate to hilly.
HIGHLIGHTS: many lakeside and hill top views; optional stop at the Apple Shed Bakery in Kents Hill..
LEADER: Lydia Leimbach, lydialeimbach@gmail.com.

LINK to ROUTE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39797033

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, contact Jim Merrick at 293-3784 or hjmerrick@gmail.com, and check out the club's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KennebecValleyBicycleClub and the KVBC blog at http://postedroads.blogspot.com.

Meandering and Meandering

We had another beautiful day for our ride from Jefferson last Saturday. We rode on some very scenic back roads past fields of lupines in full bloom.  Many thanks to the Griffins who returned to Maine barely a week ago, just in time to lead their ride!  Join us this Sunday, Father's Day, Juneteenth, as we ride out of Readfield for yet another tour of the lakes district (please note that this ride has been moved up a week from its listing in the original schedule).  See you then!

Sunday, June 19th - READFIELD
"The Maranacook Meander" - a lakeside tour through Readfield, Winthrop, Wayne and Kents Hill
START: 9:00 am at the Maranacook Middle School, lower paved parking lot, Millard Harrison Drive, off of Rt. 17 about one quarter mile north of Readfield Depot.
DISTANCE: about 27-30 miles.
TERRAIN: moderate to hilly.
HIGHLIGHTS: many lakeside and hill top views; optional stop at the Apple Shed Bakery in Kents Hill..
LEADER: Lydia Leimbach, lydialeimbach@gmail.com.

LINK to ROUTE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39797033

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, contact Jim Merrick at 293-3784 or hjmerrick@gmail.com, and check out the club's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KennebecValleyBicycleClub and the KVBC blog at http://postedroads.blogspot.com.

 

Pining for Lupines

 

We had more fine weather for last Sunday's ride around Cobbossee Lake. The roadsides were flanked by an abundance of wild and cultivated flowers, and were in pretty good shape, except for a torn-up gravel section on the return route (my apologies). This Saturday we will circle another lake and hopefully see even more flowers on a very pretty route in its own right. Hope you can join us!

Saturday, June 11 - JEFFERSON

"Lupine Damariscotta Lake" - a most colorful circumnavigation of Damariscotta Lake.

START: 9:00 am at the Jefferson Village School, 48 Washington Road, Jefferson.

DISTANCE: 27 miles.

TERRAIN: moderate with some hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: scenic back roads in full flower with a stop at the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder and the Bunker Hill Church overlook of the lake.

LEADER: Bryan Griffin, bjgriffin1964@gmail.com

LINK to ROUTE MAP (2018): https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7254743